Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras speaks with the media on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, after a series-clinching win over the Brewers at Busch Stadium. (Video by Ethan Erickson, Post-Dispatch)
A spark that flickers and fades in short order can be eye-catching, but it’s ultimately inconsequential. However, a spark that ignites a flame can have big and far-reaching ramifications.
The Cardinals went into Thursday afternoon needing and wanting to make Nolan Arenado’s walk-off grand slam in extra innings the previous night the start of something as opposed to a brief, bright burst.
In order to do that, the Cardinals had to make good on the chance Arenado’s big swing gave them — the chance to still take a series from National League Central Division leader Milwaukee after a gut-wrenching one-run loss in the series opener Tuesday, when the Cardinals left the bases loaded in the final inning.
A strong pitching performance spearheaded by right-hander Miles Mikolas and a three-run seventh inning gave the Cardinals the victory they desired as they beat the Brewers 3-0 in the finale of their three-game series in front of an announced crowd of 28,630 at Busch Stadium (for the third straight day, the smallest crowd not restricted by the pandemic in the ballpark’s history).
The Cardinals (63-64) moved to within a game of .500 and are 10 games back of the Brewers (73-54) in the division with 35 games remaining in the season.
“That’s a big momentum sway in the series,†rookie center fielder Victor Scott II said of Arenado’s walk-off. “I feel like if Nado doesn’t do that, then we may be in a different situation today. That definitely provided a spark in this locker room, so being able to come back out today, being able to compete, everybody doing their job, that’s Cardinal baseball.â€
Scott smacked a team-high three hits (3 for 4), including a double, stole a base and scored the game’s first run. First baseman Alec Burleson went 2 for 3 with two walks. Catcher Willson Contreras (1 for 3, walk, RBI) and Arenado (1 for 4, RBI) each drove in runs, while Lars Nootbaar walked twice.
The Cardinals had just three hits against Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta. They loaded the bases against him in the third inning but didn’t score.
The score remained 0-0 until the Cardinals made good on an opportunity in the seventh against Brewers reliever Nick Mears.
Scott, who registered the first three-hit game of his major league career, roped a one-out single into right field. Then rookie shortstop Masyn Winn lined a single just over the outstretched glove of leaping Brewers shortstop Willy Adames. Burleson’s single up the middle loaded the bases with still just one out.
The next batter, Contreras, fell behind 0-2 before he earned a bases-loaded walk and forced in the game’s first run.
“I was looking for something to drive down the middle (of the field),†Contreras said. “Of course, they were pitching me really tough, (giving) nothing good to me. I was just battling. I know I’m finding my rhythm again in the box, but it’s not about me. I think I just put up a good at-bat after an 0-2 count and passed the at-bat to the next guy.â€
The next guy, Brendan Donovan, swatted a sinking line drive into center field. With Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell charging in on the ball, Contreras had to hesitate between first and second base in an effort to not get doubled off of first in case Garrett caught the ball.
Winn scored on the play, but Contreras got forced out at second base.
The next batter, Arenado, singled to left-center and drove in Burleson to give the Cardinals a three-run advantage.
Tuesday’s series opener marked the start of a stretch of 22 consecutive games against playoff contending teams for the Cardinals.
“Going into the end of the season, I know we have a lot of games that are against teams that are either going to be in the playoffs or trying to scrap their way there,†Mikolas said. “So every base, every play, every bag, every pitch matters this time of year.â€
Mikolas worked around traffic in the first inning but then shut down the Brewers for the rest of the day.
The Brewers put runners on first and third with one out via a Jackson Chourio double followed by a William Contreras single.
With two chances to get a run in from third base, Mikolas kept the Brewers out of the scoring column. He got cleanup hitter Mitchell on a called third strike via a sinker on the inside corner. Then Mikolas got Adames to hit a bouncer to third base for an inning-ending force out.
The Mitchell strikeout started a string of eight consecutive batters retired by Mikolas, who allowed just two hits and one walk over six scoreless innings.
Mikolas struck out three in six scoreless innings to record a quality start. He didn’t allow a hit after the first inning, and Cardinals pitchers didn’t allow a hit from the second inning through the eighth.
The Brewers faced Cardinals right-handers Erick Fedde and Kyle Gibson leading into Thursday’s finale with Mikolas on the mound. Both Fedde and Gibson tend to pitch to contact and rely on being able to keep the ball on the ground. They each have ground-ball rates at or above 50%.
With Mikolas typically having leaned on his sinker and slider as part of a fairly balanced distribution of pitch types to keep opposing hitters on the ground, he easily could have presented a similar profile to what Brewers hitters faced the previous two nights.
While both Fedde and Gibson gave the Cardinals solid starts — Fedde allowed two runs in 5⅔ innings and Gibson allowed two runs in 5⅓ innings — Willson Contreras, Mikolas and the Cardinals pitching coaching staff decided to switch gears on the aggressive Brewers hitters.
“I think I’ve been hiding the ball a little bit better in my delivery as I say more balanced, so it keeps guys a little more honest on the fastball,†Mikolas said. “I think it helps my movement on the sinker as well. It helps make them two very different pitches, one that’s holding the line as much as possible and then one where it’s just kind of running and staying down in the zone and getting underneath the barrel.â€
Mikolas threw nearly as many four-seam fastballs Thursday (33) as he did in his previous two starts against the Brewers this season combined (35). He used the four-seamer more than any of his six pitches, going to it 37% of the time (33 of 90 pitches). He’d featured the slider most prominently in his previous starts against the Brewers this season.
“I think Miles’ four-seam is really good and will beat people,†said Willson Contreras, who caught all three games for the Cardinals. “It showed up today that his four-seamer has good life and he can manipulate it really good. It was something we planned before the game. The most important thing is that he was able to execute when we needed to.â€
The four-seam usage appeared to add to the effectiveness of his sinker, the pitch he went to second-most in the outing (24%).
The Brewers, who entered the day with the ninth-best scoring offense in the majors, didn’t have a hit off of Mikolas after the third batter of the game. Meanwhile, 12 of the 18 outs Mikolas recorded were groundouts.
“It’s a hard team to strike out,†Willson Contreras said. “They have a really good approach. They make a lot of contact. They’re really a pain, but when you execute pitches you can get them out. But strikeout wise, it’s hard to get strikeouts against them.â€
Relievers Andrew Kittredge (one inning), JoJo Romero (one inning, 30th hold of the season) and Ryan Helsley (one inning) completed the seventh shutout of the season for the Cardinals. Helsley recorded his MLB-leading 39th save of the season.
“There’s a good vibe and energy in that clubhouse right now as far as how they’re just attacking every day,†Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “I said it yesterday, all you can do is just stay present and go one pitch at a time. I feel like our guys are competing extremely well every pitch. They’re not giving a whole lot away. Our pitches did a nice job. We had a good approach. We faced a solid arm in Peralta, and I liked our approach.
“A solid win for sure. That’s a good team across the way. They’ve been playing good baseball, so to be able to take that series is important.â€
Ivan Herrera expected to be called up Sunday for series finale vs. Twins.
Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras congratulates starting pitcher Miles Mikolas on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, after a strikeout in the second inning of a game against the Brewers at Busch Stadium.
Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II slides in safely to steal second base on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, as Brewers infielder Brice Turang collects the ball late in the fifth inning of a game at Busch Stadium.